Cortado
by chr0m
Summary: Coffee shop AU. There are probably more graceful ways to deal with your college debt than working as a barista at the local café, but it's not like anywhere else in Harmonica is hiring. Eventual Chase/Gill.


Cortado

Coffee shop AU. There are probably more graceful ways to deal with your college debt than working as a barista at the local café, but it's not like anywhere else in Harmonica is hiring. Eventual Chase/Gill.

* * *

There's a picture for every single day of Luna St. Claire's senior high school year. Two hundred and seventy photos of memories that she displays on her living room wall – a giant billboard proudly showcasing what was supposed to be an awkward time for everyone, but yet, a time that she shone through.

There's a picture of her uniform. There's a picture of a manicure. There's a picture of her bruised knuckles from punching a classmate. A cap and gown. Lots of boys. More than one detention form.

Conquests and achievements; failures and punishments.

All of these photographs – something that Chase would count when he was at the girl's house in the morning when he'd pick her up for work and she was still applying makeup in the bathroom – were from two years ago, and it seemed as if nothing had changed about her personality.

Luna was refreshing – a cool glass of water on a sweltering day.

It's why he liked working with her more than most of their other coworkers, he realized.

Maya's cheeks flushed a bright crimson whenever he'd enter the room, and she'd find a way to break whatever dish she was holding. It was always an accident – the girl screamed accident, just by the way that her hair was never truly equally braided – and she'd always clean it up, but it never helped any of her coworkers in the long run.

Luke made Maya's general clumsiness look like saintliness.

Every single shift, to no avail, Luke would turn over at least three cups of coffee. Sometimes, this was on a customer, but usually – it was just a haphazard spill across the counter. Chase, unfortunately, was always the one to find himself cleaning up after the other.

In contrast, Toby was prone to taking naps in the storage room. (At least that didn't make a mess.)

Luna, however – was different. Chase had made a fast friendship with her that had managed to bring itself outside of Castanet Coffee. It's how he eventually found himself at her apartment before every shift they shared together, counting pictures on her living room wall. Generally, this was a twice a week occurrence.

It was only after she had audibly complained about public transit for approximately the fiftieth time that Chase offered to carpool with her. His car wasn't anything great, but it ran fine – and Luna had a mouth that ran seventy miles a minute. Chase didn't mind the noise, and it was likely because Luna had very relatable complaints (work, mutual acquaintances, and general Harmonican living.)

He liked Luna.

He really did.

Most of the time, anyway – except for when she was trying to set him up (at work, no less) with a Random Harmonican Bachelor, as Chase liked to call them.

"Don't you think he's cute?" She'd say, chewing strawberry bubble gum, usually when said guy was Right. Fucking. _There_.

Chase would shake his head and she'd roll her eyes with an accompanying snap of her chewing gum.

"You sure?" Luna would ask, propping her elbows on the counter.

"Yes, I'm sure," a bitter hint of resentment was all the emotion he'd let seep into these sort of conversations. He couldn't snap at Luna, _wouldn't_ snap at Luna; not when she was one of the two whole friends he had managed to acquire in Harmonica – the other a travelling Harrison Ford wanna-be who spent more time underground than anywhere near him. "Now shut _up_."

"Fine." She'd pout before stomping on his foot or trying to pull his hair or something just as inane and childish.

That was _usually_ the end of the entire ordeal, until another guy that Luna had heard things about walked into the shop and bought a drink. Once Chase told Luna to stop, she would – and she wouldn't mention them again. Usually.

Usually, the Random Harmonican Bachelor of Luna's choice wasn't Gill Hamilton, the guy with the billboard signs all over town begging the populace to vote for him in the upcoming mayoral election.

Usually.

Gill Hamilton got a whole other treatment from Luna. If she saw his car pull into the parking lot, she'd run off and take her break. If she didn't get that lucky, she'd busy herself with sweeping the floor or even voluntarily cleaning the bathrooms when he walked in.

No matter what, Chase would end up taking his order every single time, and every single time, Gill was as stand-offish as last time.

Luna would come back when Gill had situated himself at his usual window table with his laptop and his Americano. She would never actually say anything, not until Gill left, but the wicked smirk on her face implied she thought she was doing the Goddess' work.

"He's single," she'd whisper as if it was a dirty little secret.

"Cool. Don't care."

"I think you two would be cute together," she'd say a little bit louder, but still in a very hush-hush tone of voice.

"Nice opinion. Keep it to yourself," he'd pat her on the head and she'd poke his chest in response.

"No one else will ever be able to put up with your attitude, mister." She'd cross her arms across her chest and glare up at him, like a child who didn't get their way. "Not even me."

"Tell _him_ that."

The conversation would end there, always – the girl's doe eyes would narrow into slits, and her demeanour souring.

Like simply talking to Gill Hamilton was a huge, gigantic, terrifying ordeal for her, like climbing a mountain or running away to join that travelling circus that came into town sometimes.

Which was entirely strange, considering Luna St. Claire was, after all, Luna St. Claire – the social butterfly of social butterflies. Not that Chase would ever ask questions about that – when something Luna did was uncharacteristic, it was better to never explore the issue further.

Unless the issue was a slightly-cute blonde with a penchant for strong coffee that tasted more like cigarette butts dowsed in water than actual espresso – in which case, it was probably okay.

Maybe.

* * *

( haha hi, I wanted to write about the five of my favourite AP characters & some guilt ships and write a proper coffee shop au. expect an update sometime soon? )


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